Who We Are

From my perspective, therapeutic change is fostered by mutual openness that affirms the identities the client embraces. There are two experts in the room: the client and myself. I seek to honor the practice of not doing anything to clients but rather working alongside them on their goals. While I primarily practice from a humanist framework, my approach is integrative; often including elements of cognitive behavioral therapy and health psychology in an effort to choose tools that meet the client’s unique circumstances and needs.

I have experience working alongside individuals and families as they search for congruence between their actions and personal moral codes. I am also passionately interested in helping clients address concerns associated with specific medical conditions and the impact such challenges may have on their mental health. I offer an air of genuine openness, taking a strengths-based approach to the concerns presented in session. Highlighting existing resources a client may have and adding to that approaches aimed at symptom management helps clients increase both self-understanding and self-efficacy; facets I believe encourage one to live the life they want.

Born in Alabama and raised in Chicago, I grew up with innate interests in biology and mechanics. Over time I worked in a range of settings, including various roles in health care. Although the neuroscience of behavior is intriguing, and behaviors in isolation can be fascinating, psychology afforded me the opportunity to appreciate the science that keeps us running while also zeroing in on a particular individual’s concerns and helping them make adjustments. As I drew a connection between individuals experiencing an improvement in functioning I find this has a larger ripple effect. Folks who feel they are better able to interact with their environment and handle the challenges of life are more likely to have a positive impact on the other social arenas they find themselves in.

Studying at Adler University has afforded me the opportunity to train at a variety of sites around the city. I have previous experience in medical clinics, working with individuals who have severe mental illness and serving clients otherwise in an outpatient setting. Outside of psychology, I maintain interests in travel, fireworks, real estate, and conservation.

Degrees, Certificates, Memberships:

• Adler University (2021) Psy. D Clinical Psychology
• Adler University (2019) M.A. Clinical Psychology
• DePaul University (2013) B.S. Psychology
  • Concentration: Cognitive Neuroscience
• UMass Primary Care Behavioral Health Program Certification
• Clinical Foundations in Gottman Method Couples Therapy (anticipated, 2021)
• Divers Alert Network (DAN)